1999-2000: A Doc in the House
With several transactions before and during the 1999-2000 campaign, no one knew what to expect from the Orlando Magic. Orlando had 11 players on its roster with three or less years of NBA experience. They also had five players that were not even selected in the NBA draft. In fact, four of them – John Amaechi, Darrell Armstrong, Bo Outlaw and Ben Wallace – were in the starting lineup. However, the Magic had plenty of two things during that refreshing season: heart and hustle.

The Magic finished the regular season with a 41-41 record, just one game shy of making the NBA Playoffs, despite almost every pre-season publication predicting they would finish near or at the bottom of the league standings.

From June 14, 1999 until February 24, 2000, General Manager John Gabriel made 37 player transactions, involving 38 different players. The Magic also stockpiled nine first round draft selections over the next five years and created salary cap flexibility. He was named the 1999-2000 NBA Executive of the Year. Along the way, Gabriel may have acquired the biggest free agent possible – first-year head coach Glenn “Doc” Rivers.

Rivers earned universal acclaim by getting the most out of his squad each and every night. He led the Magic on a seven-game winning streak, the franchise’s longest such streak in four years. Rivers also performed “magic” by getting production from every player in uniform, as Orlando’s reserves accounted for almost half (48.2 percent) of the team’s scoring, the best bench scoring in the NBA.

For his efforts, Rivers was named the 1999-2000 NBA Coach of the Year. He became the first coach in league history to capture the award without leading his team to the playoffs, the third to win the honor with a team that posted a record of .500-or-below, and the fifth rookie to be named the NBA’s top coach.

Armstrong, the team captain, led the Magic in scoring, assists, steals and minutes played, averaging 16.2 ppg., 6.1 apg., 3.3 rpg. and 2.06 stlpg. in 31.6 minpg. The epitome of “heart and hustle,” Armstrong was third in the NBA in free throw percentage, tied for third in steals and 16th in assists. He started in all 82 games, one of 26 players in the league to play and start in every regular season outing.

1999-00 Magic Regular Statistics  PLAYER AVERAGES               REBOUNDS    Player G GS MPG FG% 3p% FT% OFF DEF TOT APG SPG BPG TO PF PPG  Darrell Armstrong 82 82 31.6 .433 .340 .911 .80 2.50 3.30 6.1 2.06 .11 3.02 1.70 16.2  Ron Mercer 31 31 31.3 .402 .000 .790 1.10 2.00 3.20 1.7 1.35 .26 2.06 2.50 15.2  Ron Mercer (TOT) 68 68 35.0 .426 .313 .789 .90 2.70 3.70 2.3 1.10 .34 2.22 2.20 16.9  John Amaechi 80 53 21.1 .437 .167 .766 .80 2.60 3.30 1.2 .44 .46 1.74 2.00 10.5  Chucky Atkins 82 0 19.8 .424 .350 .729 .20 1.30 1.50 3.7 .63 .04 1.73 1.70 9.5  Monty Williams 75 23 20.0 .489 .400 .741 1.30 2.10 3.30 1.4 .61 .23 1.45 2.50 8.7  Corey Maggette 77 5 17.8 .478 .182 .751 1.60 2.30 3.90 .8 .31 .34 1.79 2.20 8.4  Pat Garrity 82 1 18.0 .441 .401 .721 .50 2.00 2.60 .7 .38 .23 1.04 2.40 8.2  Michael Doleac 81 29 16.5 .452 .500 .842 1.10 3.00 4.10 .8 .36 .42 .80 2.80 7.0  Bo Outlaw 82 55 28.4 .602 .000 .506 2.50 3.90 6.40 3.0 1.38 1.80 1.62 2.50 6.0  Ben Wallace 81 81 24.2 .503 .000 .474 2.60 5.60 8.20 .8 .89 1.60 .83 2.00 4.8  Matt Harpring 4 0 15.8 .235 1.000 .857 1.30 1.80 3.00 2.0 1.25 .25 .25 1.80 4.0  Anthony Parker 16 0 11.6 .421 .071 .727 .30 1.40 1.70 .6 .50 .25 .69 .80 3.6  Anthony Johnson 18 4 11.9 .426 .200 .600 .30 .30 .70 .7 .56 .11 .44 .90 3.4  Anthony Johnson (TOT) 56 6 11.4 .378 .182 .718 .40 .50 .90 1.3 .59 .07 .57 1.00 2.8  Derek Strong 20 0 7.4 .438 .250 .786 .60 1.70 2.20 .2 .25 .10 .60 .80 2.7  Johnny Taylor 5 0 5.8 .417 1.000 .000 .40 .60 1.00 .2 .20 .20 .40 .80 2.2  Johnny Taylor (TOT) 6 0 5.7 .357 1.000 .000 .30 .70 1.00 .2 .17 .17 .33 .80 1.8  Kiwane Garris 3 0 7.7 .200 .000 .000 .00 .30 .30 .7 .00 .00 .33 .00 1.3 Team Averages 82 0 240.9 .452 .338 .735 14.0 31.0 44.9 20.8 9.1 5.7 17.6 24.0 100.1 Opponents 82 0 240.9 .445 .338 .745 13.3 30.2 43.5 24.3 8.8 5.8 18.2 24.5 99.4 created: 10/04/2004,11:32 AM

PLAYER TOTALS               REBOUNDS    Player G GS MIN FGM-A 3PM-A FTM-A OFF DEF TOT AST STL BLK TO PF PTS  Darrell Armstrong 82 82 2,590 484-1,119 137-403 225-247 65 205 270 501 169 9 248 137 1,330  John Amaechi 80 53 1,684 306-700 1-6 223-291 62 204 266 95 35 37 139 161 836  Chucky Atkins 82 0 1,626 314-741 57-163 97-133 20 106 126 306 52 3 142 137 782  Pat Garrity 82 1 1,479 258-585 79-197 80-111 44 166 210 58 31 19 85 197 675  Monty Williams 75 23 1,501 263-538 2-5 123-166 96 154 250 106 46 17 109 187 651  Corey Maggette 77 5 1,370 224-469 2-11 196-261 123 180 303 61 24 26 138 169 646  Michael Doleac 81 29 1,335 242-535 1-2 80-95 89 245 334 63 29 34 65 224 565  Bo Outlaw 82 55 2,326 204-339 0-3 82-162 202 323 525 245 113 148 133 203 490  Ron Mercer 31 31 969 188-468 0-9 94-119 35 63 98 54 42 8 64 76 470  Ron Mercer (TOT) 68 68 2,377 460-1,080 15-48 213-270 64 186 250 158 75 23 151 151 1,148  Ben Wallace 81 81 1,959 168-334 0-0 54-114 211 454 665 67 72 130 67 162 390  Anthony Johnson 18 4 214 26-61 1-5 9-15 6 6 12 13 10 2 8 17 62  Anthony Johnson (TOT) 56 6 637 62-164 2-11 28-39 21 30 51 72 33 4 32 58 154  Anthony Parker 16 0 185 24-57 1-14 8-11 5 22 27 10 8 4 11 13 57  Derek Strong 20 0 148 21-48 1-4 11-14 11 33 44 4 5 2 12 15 54  Matt Harpring 4 0 63 4-17 2-2 6-7 5 7 12 8 5 1 1 7 16  Johnny Taylor 5 0 29 5-12 1-1 0-0 2 3 5 1 1 1 2 4 11  Johnny Taylor (TOT) 6 0 34 5-14 1-1 0-0 2 4 6 1 1 1 2 5 11  Kiwane Garris 3 0 23 2-10 0-1 0-0 0 1 1 2 0 0 1 0 4 Team Totals 82 0 19,755 3,169-7,014 294-870 1,574-2,142 1,145 2,540 3,685 1,709 743 467 1,443 1,967 8,206 Opponents 82 0 -- 3,076-6,919 431-1,277 1,567-2,104 1,094 2,473 3,567 1,991 724 475 1,488 2,008 8,150 created: 10/04/2004,11:32 AM